Many jobs have hazardous conditions which require that workmen or others closely involved be alert and have quick reaction times. In addition to jobs in which there are exposures to hazardous life-threatening conditions, other jobs require the making of intelligent, quick decisions with clear, unimpaired minds.
One application where clarity of mind is acutely felt is in the evaluation of the effectiveness, and hence, security, at large installations patrolled by security forces. A guard's awareness and reaction time oftentimes are the determining factors in the safety of others and security of an installation. Long-distance truck drivers and nuclear reactor operators are other examples. Reaction and alertness are linked definitely to changes in a psychological state and chemical activity in the brain. Psychological state and chemical activity can be the product of fatigue, illness, medication, alcohol or illicit drug use.
A number of elaborate testing devices and written questionnaires have evolved that may give supervisory personnel, police or inspectors an indication of an individual's mental state and alertness, however, generally they tend to be rather time-consuming and cumbersome and do not lend themselves to an on-the-job, expedient testing. There exists no device by which an individual can be tested quickly in a manner which will not require the use of cumbersome and complicated devices or by unduly time consuming, yet will provide a reliable check of the individual's reaction time and alertness.
Thus there is a continuing need in the state-of-the-art for a portable and accurate testing device for an individual's mental condition and reaction time.